Biblical Studies/
Life of Jesus

Besides Joseph of Arimathea’s faithfulness in our Lord’s burial, note that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph are also present when Jesus is laid to rest (Matt. 27:56, 61). Matthew Henry writes, “True ...Read More

John Calvin says the women’s “eagerness for instruction led them to withdraw from their country, and constantly learn from the lips of Christ…they spared neither toil nor money, provided that they might enjoy his saving doctrine.” How eager ...Read More

Because of the influence Greek philosophy has long had on Christian thought, we can never say too often that Scripture never teaches that we are complete persons without a body. Rather, we look forward to the resurrection of the body ...Read More

It actually does not matter much which curtain was torn, for the tearing of either one can incorporate the meaning of the tearing of the other. Clearly, with the death of Jesus a cataclysmic change happened in the way we ...Read More

The darkness over the land in the three hours before Jesus dies (Matt. 27:45) is a sign of God’s anger at those who kill His Son as well as the curse upon humanity. “The darkness [cries] out against ...Read More

Many of Jesus’ contemporaries refused to accept the Messiah’s shame and curse on the cross, and many in the history of the church have done the same, denying the substitutionary nature of the atonement and the fact that God ...Read More

Simon was compelled to carry Christ’s cross, but we who live subsequent to His death and resurrection are called to take up His cross willingly (Luke 9:23). As followers of Jesus, we are to bear the scorn that ...Read More

The Christian faith is derided in many circles, and many professing believers throughout history have been tempted to play down the offense of the gospel or work hard to show the world that Christians are not as “uncool” as they ...Read More

A select group of corrupt religious leaders and unjust Roman officials are those who enacted the legal procedures that resulted in Jesus’ death. Yet in a sense, we all killed Jesus, because had we not sinned, there would have been ...Read More

Our God is a God of justice (Deut. 10:18) and is angered any time justice is not done. We likewise must be moved to work for justice, and being reminded that Rome did not deal with Jesus righteously should ...Read More

Matthew Henry comments, “Some have said, that Judas sinned more in despairing of the mercy of God, than in betraying his Master’s blood.” Neither Judas’ betrayal nor his suicide is the unforgiveable sin, only his refusal to seek the ...Read More

John Calvin says Peter’s rash vow to remain with the Lord (Matt. 26:33) and subsequent failure encourage us not to rely on our own weakness, but to earnestly rely on the Spirit. It is easy to say that ...Read More

In spitting upon Jesus and striking Him, the leaders are the ones who commit blasphemy. However, as John Calvin writes, “this insolence was turned by the providence of God to a very different purpose; for the face of Christ, dishonored ...Read More

Zephaniah 3:5 assures us that the Lord is perfectly righteous and therefore incapable of any injustice. We must therefore, unlike the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day, learn to hate injustice and to do whatever we can to make sure that ...Read More

Christians know that we need to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us, but sometimes we have “defended” Christ improperly. Sometimes, like Peter in today’s passage, we have pursued aggressive violence. Other times ...Read More